GUEST POST: Should Memorial Day sales excite us?

Jerry TietjensSpecial to the Daily Press

Editor's note: This is a guest post written by Jerry Tietjens, of Newport News, a writer and blogger for the bargain hunting website crazytowndeals.com.

The retail industry has taken full advantage of Memorial Day over the years. The long weekend is particularly attractive to merchants who think they have three full days to capitalize on the consumer's desire to get great deals. But what is a "great deal" and where are you most likely to find it?

Apparel sales are especially prominent this weekend. While some of these only give you small discounts, there are a few we found very attractive. Perry Ellis, in particular, has some big discounts (as much as 50 percent off of their lowest marked price) on its website, including Original Penguin, Cubavera and Rafaella. This is also a good time to shop at some of the higher-end retailers like Macy's, where there are already big discounts on dresses, jewelry and more, along with a coupon for an extra 25 percent off clearance items.

The competition between Best Buy, Amazon and Walmart is clearly bringing down prices on popular electronic devices. As one of the big retailers drops the price on a sought after item, the others tend to follow. We are expecting to see some very low prices on some of the most popular electronics over the weekend as the "Big Three" continue to battle for market share. Price drops on iPads, laptops, and other technology are already appearing. NewEgg, another site known for being competitive on the most popular electronics, is also worth a look this weekend. The hottest electonics deals are likely to come and go quickly and will require you to check those sites frequently.

Flat screen television prices have come down a great deal this year, and we are seeing more deals like the Samsung 40" LED Backlit set at Dell Home for $530, sweetened with a $150 Dell Gift Card and free shipping. Our expectation is that we will see more very good deals on HDTVs throughout the holiday weekend.

Home improvement advertisements promised big sales, but are a bit disappointing so far. We see mostly small discounts and many stores still charging for home shipping, along with very few "free installation" options.